Hi Richard,

     About "DOS box on modern Net" of 2007-Dec-18:

RW> Not sure how to go about all this, whether I'd need a serial port
RW> open...  ...or whether I could use regular networking...

Real Serial Ports are slow, Virtual Serial Ports linked by a NetWork may
provide better speeds.  I find more satisfying to use 'InterLnk' via the
Parallel port since one's remote drives look and feel like another local
drive but i guess that your friend simply prefered to escalate the speed
scale by choosing NetWorking SoftWare.  Well, i wonder what his solution
was but there may be some good persons who can help you at this address:

http://www.cisnet.com/glennmcc/aqc/

It's a simple site without extravagant extensions, i just tested it with
'Lynx' and i garantee you there won't be any issues with this interface!

RW> ...I sort of like the offline reader for internet email...

Perhaps you should consider installing your own private LAN-Only BBS, it
would take the work-load and your DOS machine would only need to work as
a TelNet Terminal Emulator on which specialty peripherals would continue
to be supported.  Your BBS itself can be Linux-based and might even boot
from a Live CD which can be moved around should you face some emergency.

;^)

It's been a long time away from the BBS scene for me, perhaps you'd find
ready-made CDs if you look hard enough.  I wouldn't be surprized at all.

                                    Salutations,  :)

                                    Michel Samson
                                    a/s Bicephale
                                    http://cf.geocities.com/dosinternet/


... Exploring DOS+TCP/IP+TelNet+ZMoDem/Kermit+.QWK since mid-1996 or so.
--- MultiMail/MS-DOS v0.49 - Work could make BBSes UNIVERSAL, not sugar.